referencia
/refeˈɾenθja/
The Spanish word for reference is referencia.
referencia is used as a noun to denote a source of information, a piece of information about a person. In formal correspondence, the phrase en referencia a is commonly used to mean 'regarding' or 'with reference to'. If you need to express the action of citing or referencing something, you should use the verb referenciar.
Meaning: to refer to (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
referencia is a feminine noun, so it must be used with feminine articles such as la or una.
How do you pronounce it?
/refeˈɾenθja/
Did you know?
- While referencia is the standard noun, the verb referenciar was historically considered an anglicism and discouraged by the Royal Spanish Academy, though it is now widely accepted in academic and technical contexts.
- In many Latin American countries, if you ask for a 'referencia' in a job context, you are specifically asking for 'referencias personales' or 'laborales'. This is a formal ritual of character verification that is much more structured than the casual 'references' often used in English.
- The word referencia shares its root with referir, which in Spanish is often used as a reflexive verb referirse to indicate who someone is talking about.
Examples in context
- En referencia a tu solicitud, yo quiero brindar mi apoyo.With reference to your request, I will support.This sentence shows how to use referencia in a formal way to mean 'with reference to'.Tatoeba #1205647 by marcelostockle, translation #17035 by mcq
- Es de Portal, el de Terraria es una referencia.It's from Portal, the one from Terraria is a reference.This sentence uses referencia to mean a cultural or media reference.Tatoeba #13197246 by EugeneGS, translation #13197245 by EugeneGS
- El calendario gregoriano tiene como referencia el nacimiento de Cristo.The Gregorian calendar uses Christ's birth as a point of reference.This sentence uses referencia to mean a point of reference.Tatoeba #1325548 by alexmarcelo, translation #13946173 by araneo
- Me podrías proporcionar una referencia sobre tu trabajo anterior, por favorCould you provide me with a reference about your previous work, please?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing a book they both read.
- LucíaEsa parte es una referencia a un poema antiguo.That part is a reference to an old poem.
- MateoNo me di cuenta, ¿cuál poema es?I didn't notice, which poem is it?
- LucíaEs una referencia muy sutil, pero está ahí.It is a very subtle reference, but it's there.
- MateoAhora lo entiendo, gracias por explicarlo, Lucía.Now I understand, thanks for explaining it, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry referencia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
